The sharing economy, represented by companies like Airbnb or Uber, is the latest fashion craze. But many supporters have overlooked the reality that this new business model is largely based on escaping regulations and breaking the law.
Airbnb is an Internet-based service that allows people to rent out spare rooms to strangers for short stays. Uber is an Internet taxi service that allows thousands of people to answer ride requests with their own cars. There are hundreds of other such services.
The good thing about the sharing economy is that it promotes the use of underused resources. Millions of people have houses or apartments with empty rooms, and Airbnb allows them to profit from these rooms while allowing guests a place to stay at prices that are often far less than those charged by hotels. Uber offers prices that are competitive with standard taxi prices and their drivers are often much quicker and more trustworthy.
But the downside of the sharing economy has gotten much less attention. Most cities and states both tax and regulate hotels, and the tourists who stay in hotels are usually an important source of tax income. But many of Airbnb’s customers are not paying the taxes required under the law.
Airbnb can also raise issues of safety for its customers and trouble for hosts’ neighbors. Hotels are regularly inspected to ensure that they are not fire traps and that they don’t form other risks for visitors. Airbnb hosts face no such inspections.
Since Airbnb is allowing people to escape taxes and regulations, the company is simply promoting thefts. Others in the economy will lose by bearing an additional tax burden or being forced to live next to an apartment unit with a never-ending series of noisy visitors.
The same story may apply with Uber. Uber is currently in disputes over whether its cars meet the safety and insurance requirements imposed on standard taxis. Also, if Uber and related services flood the market, they could harm all taxi drivers’ ability to earn a minimum wage.
This downside of the sharing needs to be taken seriously, but that doesn’t mean the current tax and regulatory structure is perfect.
1.What is the positive thing about the sharing economy?
A. It is a global trend.
B. It is beyond regulations.
C. It draws on spare resources.
D. It brings in modest profits.
2.What is the problem with Airbnb customers according to the passage?
A. They are not regularly inspected.
B. They are likely to commit thefts.
C. They are allowed not to pay taxes.
D. They can be noisy to hosts’ neighbours.
3.What is the argument over Uber according to the passage?
A. Whether it guarantees customers’ safety.
B. Whether it provides reliable services.
C. Whether it lowers customers’ expenses.
D. Whether it can compete with standard taxis.
4.What will be talked about in the following paragraphs?
A. Existing regulations and laws.
B. Necessary improvements of current laws.
C. Further development of Airbnb and Uber.
D. More downsides of Airbnb and Uber.
科目:高中英语 来源:2017届安徽江南十校高三下期开年第一考英语试卷(解析版) 题型:短文改错
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文,请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误,每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加:在缺词处加一个漏字符号(∧),并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除:把多余的词用斜线(\)划掉。
修改:在错的词下画一横线,并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意:1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词。
2.只允许修改10处,多者(从第11处起)不计分。
During the National Day holiday, I paid a visit my grandma in the countryside. It has been almost two years since I last saw her. In my memory, my grandma was a hardworking but strong woman full of energy. Whenever she saw me, she always hugged me deep. But when I gave her a hug this time, I found that she was much short and thinner than before. Her back was become bent and her hairs turned white. But luckily, she was still health. She could laugh like a child. To my happy, she could cook some delicious food for me. I love my grandma. I know he will always be there, helping me and loving me.
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科目:高中英语 来源:2017届辽宁铁岭协作体高三上第二次联考英语试卷(解析版) 题型:阅读理解
“People are ruder today because they are rushed and more ‘time poor’ than ever before,” says Patsy Rowe, “Manners have fallen off the radar(雷达).” Due to our strong attraction to electronic equipment it is a wonder more people don’t wake up each morning and greet the singing birds with a complaint about the noise. Here are some examples of rudeness.
Some people prefer to do almost everything over the internet. To them, dealing with an actual human is like an evolutionary step backward. It feels very slow because humans don’t work at 4G speeds. When you have dinner with friends, you will often notice someone paying more attention to his mobile phone. We have programmed ourselves to think that every new message brings life-changing news, so taking calls and checking our texts are more important than talking to the people we are with. What is worse, some people even tend to send anonymous(匿名的) rude messages by email.
However, rudeness is never acceptable. Don’t assume it is OK to be rude if the person you’re in touch with won’t recognize you. If you have something awful to say, have the courage to face the person and say it, write a letter or email and sign it, or forget it. Upsetting people with unsigned messages is cruel and annoying.
We shouldn’t blame technology for our shortcomings. Technology is here to help us, but we should not allow it to take over our lives. An important step is admitting our shortcomings. People spend a lot of time pointing out bad manners but it would be even more helpful if we’d publicly recognize good manners when we see them.
1.What can be inferred from the underlined sentence in Paragraph 1?
A. People can tell good from bad behavior.
B. Radar is able to observe human behavior.
C. People care little about their behavior.
D. Radar can be used to predict human behavior.
2.Some people are less willing to deal with humans because ________.
A. they are becoming less patient
B. they are growing too independent
C. they have to handle many important messages
D. they have to follow an evolutionary step backward
3.The author thinks sending unsigned awful messages is ________.
A. ridiculousB. hatefulC. acceptableD. reasonable
4.What can we learn from the last paragraph?
A. We should praise good behavior.
B. Technology can never be blamed.
C. We should keep pointing out mistakes.
D. Technology will take over our lives one day.
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科目:高中英语 来源:2016-2017学年黑龙江哈尔滨六中高二上期末考试英语卷(解析版) 题型:七选五
根据短文内容,从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。
Nowadays, more and more parents are using a new technology, home security systems, to keep an eye on their “home-alone” children. In the early days of home security, the systems were basically designed just to keep the bad guys out. ___1.___ But be sure, when no adult is present, he or she knows how to do so safely.
Every child should memorize his or her own full name and address, and home, work and cellphone numbers of each parent. ___2.___If your child is too young to memorize the information, he or she may be too young to be home alone — for any time.
____3._____If a door or window is slightly open, the child has any reason to suspect someone has been in the house that shouldn’t be, have him or her call you, then wait at the nearby home of a neighbour who’s agreed to act as a safe house...
____4.__Besides, set a rule that he or she must never play outside the house when no one else is at home.
Be sure your child knows how to disarm (解除) and arm your home security system. Program your control panel (控制板) to give you a message when your child enters or leaves the house, and arms or disarms the system. __5.____
If you want to learn more about home security systems that can help parents protect their “home-alone” children, you can visit www.ProtectAmerica.com.
A. Warn your home-alone child never to answer the doorbell or telephone.
B. You and your child should work together to use the home security systems.
C. At present, the systems are only intended for home-alone children.
D. Teach your child to observe things when returning to the house.
E. Also keep this information posted next to the phone at home.
F. Now, many parents are also using them to make their home-alone children safe.
G. If your child forgets to rearm the system, you can call him or her with a personal reminder.
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科目:高中英语 来源:2017届河北衡水中学高三上期五调12月英语试卷(解析版) 题型:完成句子
第二节基础知识测试
注意:1—5题为单词拼写(每空一词),6—10题为完成句子(不限词数)。
1.She chose to learn the violin in __________(prefer) to the piano.
2.During the talks in Copenhagen, all the 192 nations agree on the fact that climate change is posing a threat to the __________(生存) of human beings.
3.The new solider __________(射击) at the target, but missed it again.
4.We’ll start tomorrow, weather __________(permit).
5.He was touched by the __________(warm) of their welcome.
6.“The interest ______________________ be divided into five parts, according to the agreement made by both sides.” declared the judge.
7.But for my classmates’ help, I ______________________(not finish) the work in time.
8.He studied hard before the examination, and it ______________________ (得到回报,取得成功). He made an A.
9.The president spoke at the business meeting for nearly an hour without ______________________(参考) his notes.
10.Would you like my old TV ______________________(交换) this camera?
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科目:高中英语 来源:2017届河北衡水中学高三上期七调英语试卷(解析版) 题型:翻译
第二节句子翻译,填充短语
1.I’m very grateful that they helped me (度过;挺过)the hard times.
2. (追溯到)1,500 years ago,the old temple comes back to life again.
3.He escaped by (冒充为)as a guard.
4.I have tried very hard to find a solution to the problem,but (徒劳的).
5.He sat by the window, (陷入沉思).
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科目:高中英语 来源:2017届河北衡水中学高三上期七调英语试卷(解析版) 题型:阅读理解
B
STAY INFORMED WITH CITIZENS,BANK! Are you a busy person who likes to stay on top of your finances? Then why do you waste your time constantly checking your bank account? Citizens' Bank now offers a new service for you. With our new Automated Alert Service,Citizens' Bank account holders can have important account information sent directly to their cell phone or email address.The type of information you'll receive is up to you; ●Be informed when your account balance drops below a certain level. ●Receive notification (通知)when a specific check clears. ●Find out instantly whenever a withdrawal is made. And at the end of the month,your complete bank statement will still be sent to you.With Automated Alerts,staying on top of your banking will be a lot easier.For more information,contact us at aas@citizensbank.net or drop by your nearest branch. |
From;Robert Renfield robertyaho@nemo.com To:Citizens' Bank aas@citizensbank.net Subject;An Inquiry of the Alert Service Good afternoon, I am writing to request more information on your new Automated Alert Service,as advertised on your Website.I have had both personal and commercial accounts with Citizens' Bank for many years.Often,I find it necessary to move money between accounts.Because of this,it is vital that I keep a close eye on the cash flow of all of my accounts,to assure that their balances stay above the required minimums.Therefore,I have been searching for an economical means of keeping better track of my finances.I was considering purchasing software for this purpose,but I think that your new service might be a convenient alternative. My first question concerns the timeliness of the notifications.When you say “instantly,” does that relate only to banking hours? For example,if my wife were to use our debit card (借记卡)on a Sunday afternoon to make a transfer (转账)at an ATM,would I be informed via email instantly or on Monday morning? My second question is in regard to the information available in this service.Is it possible to be aware of any information in my monthly bank statement,such as interest on my savings account? Finally,I would like to know the cost of this service. Please send me this information as soon as possible.If necessary,you can contact me in the evenings at 225-782-0902. R.Renfield |
1.What is Citizens' Bank advertising?
A.A kind of checking account.
B.A way to bank over the phone.
C.A free hotline for new customers.
D.A service for account holders.
2.What is Mr Renfield's relation to Citizens' Bank?
A.He has had accounts with it for many years.
B.He is a member of its board of directors.
C.He recently opened a new account with it.
D.He used its Automated Alert Service.
3.Which of the following will be most important for Mr Renfield?
A.Receiving information directly on his cell phone.
B.Knowing when his balances drop to a certain level.
C.Being informed when a specific check clears.
D.Having his monthly bank statement sent to him.
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科目:高中英语 来源:2017届福建省漳州市八校高三上学期期末联考英语试卷(解析版) 题型:阅读理解
Think about what you had for lunch: Was it a hamburger? A chicken sandwich? Barbecue? What about vegetables? Would it surprise you to learn that what you eat can affect the whole planet?
It can—in a big way. New studies show how food and its production affect the globe and its warming climate. You’ve probably heard of global warming. The temperature is on the rise because humankind has been releasing (排放) amounts of gases into the atmosphere. One of these greenhouse gases is carbon dioxide (二氧化碳).
What does this have to do with food? A big part of the carbon dioxide that we put in the atmosphere every year comes from the process of making and eating food. The production of meat contributes a lot of that carbon dioxide. And much of meat’s contribution comes from beef, which is responsible for releasing even more warming gases into the atmosphere.
The process of making a hamburger, for example, requires a lot of energy. A cow has to be fed and raised on farmland, and cow waste is a major source of methane (沼气) — an especially powerful greenhouse gas. The cow has to be killed. The meat has to be processed and shipped to a shop, which takes fuel. Most of the cow won’t even be used for meat that people eat. By the time a hamburger finally lands on a dinner plate, it has made a heavy effect on the environment.
We can reduce the production of global-warming gases by eating less beef. Other kinds of meat like pork and chicken do less harm to the environment — at least in terms of the amount of greenhouse gases released.
All kinds of meat are harder on the planet than vegetables. To grow and eat a pound of potatoes, for example, sends less than one-quarter pound of carbon dioxide into the air. So changing our diet to less meat and more vegetables, as it turns out, may do the world some good.
1.The questions asked in the first paragraph are used to ________.
A. show the author’s concern about food safety
B. express the author’s puzzlement at what to eat
C. introduce the topic to be discussed in the passage
D. remind readers of something delicious to eat
2.What is the bad news for meat-eaters?
A. Most cows are raised not for people to eat.
B. Meat producing contributes to global warming.
C. There is a lot of carbon dioxide in the meat we eat.
D. Animals begin to die off because of global warming.
3.Which is the most environment-friendly food according to the passage?
A. Carrot.B. Beef.C. Pork.D. Chicken.
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科目:高中英语 来源:2017届河北五个一推荐高三上第一次模拟考英语卷(解析版) 题型:语法填空
阅读下面材料,在空白处填入适当的内容(1个单词)或括号内单词的正确形式。
That Beijing, together with Zhangjiakou, succeeded in getting the chance to host the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, speeds up the development of Zhangjiakou City. Word came 1. the Beijing-Zhangjiakou high-speed railway, 2.(locate) in North China, is currently under construction, and 3. (expect) to be completed by 2020 in preparation for the cities to host the 2022 Winter Olympics. Starting from Beijing North Railway Station, heading west through the Great Wall three times in the capital's territory, the project is a big challenge, 4. designers say the explosions needed to dig the tunnels will not have an impact on the structure. The line has a 5. (long) of 174 km as a double tracked passenger dedicated line, with ten stations situated along its route. Having a 6. (totally) investment of 31.17 billion yuan ($5 billion), the trip between the two cities will only take 40 minutes, with the train 7. (travel) at an average of 250 km/h. According to the plan, the high-speed railway will build two branch lines—one is to Yanqing Station and the other 8. Taizicheng of Chongli, 9. the Olympic village lies. The full railway, which includes 70-kilometer section through Beijing, will be completed in four and 10. half years.
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